The Child by the Sea
by Isabella Esme Nicole Brown
Summary: Renee Swan learns a valuable lesson from a child.


**Summery:**

 **Renee Swan learns a valuable lesson from a child.**

 **AN: I don't own anything but the computer used.**

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 **The Child by the Sea**

 **I went for a drive down to first beach, it seems these days the only time I have anytime to myself is in the car on the way to and from dropping Emmett off at school.**

 **As I got out of the car I took in a deep breath. With a smile I started my walk.**

 **I spotted a little girl about she had to be about six years old playing in the sand, She was building a sand castle or something and when she looked up, her eyes as were as blue as the sea and she had the prettiest blond hair.**

" **Hello," she said.**

 **I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.**

" **I'm building," she said. As she continued to look at the sand**

" **I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.**

" **Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand.!" The little girl said with a smile.**

 **"I love to take my shoes off and have the sand between my toes, it feels funny and it makes me happy!"**

 **That sounds good I thought, and I slipped off my shoes.**

 **A sandpiper glided by. "That's joy," the child said.**

" **It's a what?" I asked confused**

" **It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy." Oh**

 **The bird went gliding down the beach.**

" **Good-bye joy," I muttered to myself, "hello pain," and turned to walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance. My Mother Is in the last stages of Cancer and the doctors told us that she only has a month or so to live, My son Emmett is always in trouble at school and My husband is begging me to have another baby.**

" **What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.**

" **Renee," I answered. "I'm Renee Swan."**

" **Mine's Katie …I'm six."**

" **Hi, Katie."**

 **She giggled.**

" **You're funny," she said.**

 **In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.**

" **Come by again, Mrs. S," she called. "We'll have another happy day."**

 **The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, an ailing mother. And getting called into the principle office because Emmett had to have a smart mouth.**

 **The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. "I need a sandpiper," I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.**

 **I had forgotten about Katie and was startled when she appeared.**

" **Hello, Mrs. S," she said. "Do you want to play?"**

" **What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance. Can't I enjoy a walk without someone showing up.**

" **I don't know, What do you think?"**

" **How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.**

 **The tinkling laughter burst forth again.**

" **I don't know what that is."**

" **Then let's just walk." Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.**

" **Where do you live?" I asked. Concerned she seems like she is always here.**

" **Over there." She pointed toward a row of cottages.**

" **Where do you go to school?"**

" **I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation." She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Katie said it had been a happy day.**

 **Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.**

 **Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Katie. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.**

" **Look, if you don't mind, I'd rather be alone today." I said crossly when Katie caught up with me, Then I noticed how she seemed unusually pale and out of breath.**

" **Why?" she asked. I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" And thought, my God, why was I saying this to a little child? Much less yelling at her.**

" **Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."**

" **Yes, and so was yesterday and the day before and – oh, just go away!" Sounding more like a six year old myself.**

" **Did it hurt?" she asked.**

" **Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.**

" **When she died?"**

" **Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.**

 **A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.**

" **Hello," I said. "I'm Renee Swan. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."**

" **Oh yes, Mrs. Swan, please come in. Katie talked about you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please accept my apologies."**

" **Not at all – she's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant it.**

" **Where is she?" I asked Curiously while looking around**

" **Katie died last week, Mrs. Swan. She had leukemia. she didn't tell you did she."**

 **Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. My breath caught.**

" **She loved this beach; so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly…" her voice faltered. "She left something for you…if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?" I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something, anything, to say to this lovely young woman.**

 **She handed me a smeared envelope, with Mrs. S printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues – a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed:**

 **A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.**

 **Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Katie's mother in my arms.**

" **I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together.**

 **The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words-one for each year of her life-that speak to me of harmony, courage, UN-demanding love. A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand – who taught me the gift of love.**

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 **Authors Note:**

 **this story might look familiar as it is a story that I recently read this on Shareably . Net ,I did write some of Renee's thoughts and finished out the rest of some of the sentences. Oh yeah if your going to leave hate keep on browsing.**


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